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  48 STAR, U.S. NAVY SMALL BOAT ENSIGN, MADE AT MARE ISLAND, CALIFORNIA [FORMER HEADQUARTERS OF THE PACIFIC FLEET] DURING WWII, SIGNED & DATED JULY 1942, WITH EXTENSIVE WEAR FROM OBVIOUS USE

Available: Sold
Frame Size (H x L): 65.75" x 38.25"
Flag Size (H x L): 54.25" x 27.25"
Description....:
48 star American national flag, made during World War II (U.S. involvement 1941-45) and signed along the reverse side of the hoist with a black stencils that read: "U.S. Ensign No. 11" MI 44” and "Mare Island July 1942." Located about 23 miles northeast of San Francisco, Mare Island (actually a peninsula) became a seat of U.S. Navy defense in 1852, in the wake of California’s admission as the 31st state (1850). The site was proposed by Commodore John Drake Sloat, a prominent U.S. Navy officer who, in 1848, had embarked at Monterey and claimed the former Mexican ‘Alta California’ Territory for the United States, with the support of explorer and former U.S. Army Engineer, John Fremont, who arrived on the same day, in the employment of one America’s most powerful senators, Railroad Thomas Hart Benton of Missouri. Two years later, Sloat received orders to lead a survey party in search of a logical site for the nation's first Pacific naval installation. The result was his recommendation that it be situated on the ‘island’ that lay beyond the Napa River, on the western edge of the settlement of Vallejo, which at that time served as the state’s principle seat of government. Sloat selected the location, being "free from ocean gales and from floods and freshets." On November 6th 1852, two years after California gained statehood, President Fillmore reserved Mare Island for government use by Executive Order. Acting favorably on Sloat’s report, U.S. Navy purchased Mare Island, in July of 1853, for the sum of $83,410, for use as a naval shipyard.* Two years later, on September 16th of 1854, it became the first permanent U.S. naval installation on the West Coast, with Commodore David G. Farragut serving as its first commander. The base became home to what was known as the Pacific Fleet, and remained so until the threat of Japanese expansionism caused the shift to a more advanced position at Pearl Harbor. Very active in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, it closed in 1993, following congressional approval of recommendations contained in the Base Realignment and Closure Report.

The canton and stripes of the flag are made of wool bunting that has been pieced and sewn with machine stitching. The stars are made of cotton and are double-appliquéd with a zigzag machine stitch. There is a heavy canvas binding along the hoist with 4 brass grommets. The weight of the wool and the stalwart construction is typical of what the Navy preferred for its flags in this period. The fabric is heavier grade than what was usually employed in commercially-made flags and the fly end is bound with 4 rows of stitching instead of the usual two encountered in standard, commercially-made flags. “No. 11” is a size designation for U.S. Navy small boat ensigns, specifying a flag that was to be 2.37 x 4.5 feet. Measuring approx. 27.25" on the hoist and 54.25" on the fly, this was the second to the smallest variety of Stars & Stripes in use by the Navy in 1942. This small scale is especially nice for collectors, because it is so easily framed and displayed.

The flag was found among the holdings of an elderly collector from Kansas. Although it has no specific history of use, it was sewn during wartime, undoubtedly saw wartime use, and was flown for extended period. The endearing wear makes for a presentation that shows both its age and function.

The 48 star flag became official in 1912 following the addition of New Mexico and Arizona. 48 remained the official star count throughout WWI (U.S. involvement 1917-18), WWII, and the Korean War (1950-53), until Alaska gained statehood in 1959 and the 49th star was added.

* When the Navy bought Mare Island, it belonged to one of its own, Lieutenant Commander William Pope McArthur, a U.S. Navy hydrographer, who had previously surveyed the island, and, in 1850, bought it from its Mexican owner, with a consortium of private investors. Per the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, that ended the Mexican War, legal owners of private land, in areas seized by or otherwise transferred to the United States, retained their original ownership.

Mounting: The flag was mounted and framed within our own conservation department, which is led by masters degree trained staff. We take great care in the mounting and presentation of flags and have preserved thousands of examples; more than anyone worldwide.

The background is hemp fabric, ivory in color. The mount was placed in a black-painted, hand-gilded and distressed Italian molding. The glazing is U.V. protective plexiglass. Feel free to contact us for more details.

Condition: There is moderate loss along the fly end, primarily in the 1st, 2nd, and last red stripes, and the white stripes, from obvious use. Fabric of similar coloration was placed behind these areas during the mounting process. There is significant soiling throughout, particularly at the fly end and in the top center of the top stripe, and there is minor fading. There is corrosion on the metal grommets. Many of my clients prefer early flags to show their age and history of use.
Collector Level: Intermediate-Level Collectors and Special Gifts
Flag Type: Sewn flag
Star Count: 48
Earliest Date of Origin: 1942
Latest Date of Origin: 1942
State/Affiliation: California
War Association: WW 2
Price: SOLD
 

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